Why Hudsonville official thinks city should drop 'Strive to Serve God' from mission statement

MLive.com FileHudsonville City Commissioner John O'Brien questions the Christian character of the city's vote against a public-transit millage this week.

HUDSONVILLE, MI - After city voters by a wide margin this week rejected a proposed public-transit tax, a millage supporter posted some frustration to Hudsonville's Facebook page. City Commissioner John O'Brien criticized the TEA Party's public spending austerity and suggested that the lopsided transit vote has compromised part of Hudsonville's mission statement that references obedience to God.

"Yes I now believe we must delete that our mission is Striving to Serve God," O'Brien wrote. "APPARENTLY WE ARE WORSHIPING THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR."

In the face of opposition from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Hudsonville four years ago decided to keep the phrase "strive to serve God" in its mission statement. In an exchange on the city's Facebook page, O'Brien implies that the transit vote neglects that mission.

He said by phone that he plans to make a comment at an upcoming meeting of the City Commission, which next meets 7 p.m. May 15.

"When did Jesus Christ call out to ignore the needs of the poor, sick, elderly?" he wrote. "So if we are practicing our faith (As Christians) in how we vote I ask you to consider all of the New Testament stories about the Good Samaritan, the healing of the sick, feeding the poor."

MLive readers have had their own reactions to the wickedness, or godliness, of Hudsonville's vote this week:

In a comment seemingly drenched in sarcasm, dab offers "Congratulations to my fellow citizens of Hudsonville.

You stuck to your principles and defeated the evil forces of larger government. The socialists pushing public transportation were turned away at the city gates. The wishes of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were upheld and government was limited."

The comment then belittles no-voters:

"I bet that $50 bucks you kept out of the governments grubby hands feels real good sitting in your wallet. Heck if you find an investment paying 12% over the next three years that $150 dollars you saved could be $160. That's just good sense."

"The people that need public transit the most are the poor, and the Bible is very radical in how Christians should support the poor. $40.65 is crumbs from tables of Hudsonville residents. You can make non-religious based arguments against the public transit (and that is fine), but you can't carry the tea party flag and the cross at the same time."

In a follow-up comment, jp3 writes that "as a Christian, combining your faith with politics distorts the priorities of Jesus. Being animately opposed to government aid for the poor is hypocritical."

"Even as an atheist liberal, I can see how badly agencies which receive tax dollars waste them on their pet projects and so not transfer much of the vallue to the actual recipients. The admin always works in air-conditioned offices, surrounded by pleasant surroundings, suit and tie and never need mingle with the minions of the unwashed."

albert sllort offered perhaps the most succinct perspective on what Hudsonville's vote suggests:

"The simple fact is that the people of Hudsonville do not want the kind of people in their town who cannot afford transportation."